The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday edition that on Thursday, Canadian Natural Resources reported third quarter results, pumping out an average of 1.65 million barrels of oil equivalent per day during the quarter, while profits jumped to almost $3-billion. Postmedia's Chris Varcoe writes that between Suncor Energy, Imperial Oil, Cenovus Energy and Canadian Natural Resources -- all members of the Oil Sands Alliance -- combined net income increased by more than 200 per cent to $12.6-billion during the July-to-September period from a year earlier. With the sector financially healthy, increasing production is becoming more crucial as the federal and provincial governments support the proposed Pacific Link pipeline. The project would carry one million barrels per day from Alberta to southern British Columbia for export to Asia. The pipeline is now a federal project of national interest. While strong commodity prices, global geopolitics and domestic political conditions are all favourable to more production, companies need to decide how to best use their free cash flow. CNRL president Scott Stauth believes these policy steps and future government moves will alter producer capital programs, even as early as next year.